Two Individuals Indicted For Bank And Wire Fraud

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– On December 9, 2015, a Federal grand jury returned a seventy-nine count indictment charging Miosotis Ribot-Figueroa (Ribot) with bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft and charging Ribot and José F. González-Guzmán (González) with a total of four counts of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in charge of the investigation. The indictment was unsealed today upon the arrest of both defendants.

These charges stem from a scheme utilized by Ribot from approximately May to October 2014 to make thirty four unauthorized bank transfers from the bank account of her employer to bank accounts controlled by Ribot and/or González totaling approximately $490,165.42. Ribot was employed as an assistant controller for a Puerto Rico company that sold, distributed, and provided service for medical equipment. As a part of the scheme, Ribot logged into her employer’s computer network and accessed their bank’s system for processing payments and bank transfers to vendors and customers. Ribot then processed thirty-four unauthorized bank transfers to herself and González. Ribot submitted false and fraudulent invoices to correspond to the fraudulent bank transfers. Ribot also submitted false information into a journal voucher system to reflect that the bank transfer had been authorized by a supervisor. In doing so, Ribot utilized the names and signature of others to further the scheme to defraud.

Ribot and González are also charged with a total of four counts of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity related to transactions in excess of $10,000 utilizing the stolen funds. Those four transactions have a total value of approximately $75,406.82.

The indictment alleges thirty-four counts of bank fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344, thirty-four counts of wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, of a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), related to the possession and use without lawful authority of a means of identification in relation to bank fraud and wire fraud charged in the indictment, and four counts of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, related to monetary transactions in excess of $10,000 using the stolen funds. The total value of the fraud was approximately $490,165.42. Defendants are facing a money judgment of $490,165.42, a forfeiture allegation of a lot of land located in the Municipality of Gurabo with a surface of 509,000 acre, equivalent to 2,003.92 square meters, and a Vessel, a 2002 Doral International Model 360SE named Cizañas.

If found guilty, Ribot faces a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison for bank and wire fraud, ten years in prison for monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and a mandatory two year consecutive term in prison for aggravated identity theft. If found guilty, González faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Erbe.

Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing.